Woodgate suffers new setback

Injury-plagued Tottenham defender Jonathan Woodgate limped off during a friendly against Barnet on Tuesday with a calf problem.

The 31-year-old has not played a first-team match for the Londoners since he made his comeback from a 15-month groin injury lay-off against AC Milan on February 15.

Woodgate picked up an adductor strain at the San Siro but had hoped to have an outside chance of returning to play against former club Real Madrid in Spurs' Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Those hopes were dashed when he limped off the field during the second half of the friendly against neighbours Barnet at the club's training ground in Chigwell, Essex.

Woodgate will still travel with the squad to Madrid and there is hope that he could play again before the end of the season. He was originally left out of Tottenham's 25-man squad at the start of the season but manager Harry Redknapp added the former Leeds man back onto his list in January.

The inclusion gave Woodgate the chance to prove to Redknapp that he deserves an extension to his contract, which expires at the end of the season.

Redknapp may now be forced to let Woodgate go although he is understood to be considering offering him a pay-as-you-play deal.

Tom Huddlestone handed Redknapp one piece of good news when he came through 80 minutes of the 2-1 win.

The midfielder has been out for over four months with an ankle injury and could be available for Tuesday's game in the Spanish capital, or possibly even Saturday's Barclays Premier League match at Wigan.

Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon are both doubts for this weekend's game against the Latics with hamstring injuries.

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